MTC is an application wireless communication technology for implementing machine-to-machine and machine-to-human data communication and exchange. The MTC has a very wide application range, such as intelligent measurement, remote monitoring, tracking, and medical treatment. Compared with the conventional human-to-human communication, the device used for machine-to-machine communication in the MTC (i.e., the MTC device) has a large amount, a wide range of applications, and great market prospect.
The primary long-distance connection technologies in the MTC include a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology/a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), and the primary short-distance connection technologies in the MTC include 802.11b/g, bluetooth, Zigbee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and the like. Since the MTC integrates wireless communication and information technology and can be used for bi-directional communication, such as remote information collection, parameters setting and instruction delivery, the MTC can implement different application solutions, such as security monitoring, automatic vending and goods tracking. Almost all devices involved in daily life are likely to be potential service objects of the MTC. The MTC provides simple means for device real-time data to establish wireless connections between systems, between remote devices, or between the system/remote device and a person individual.
In the existing MTC system, the MTC device communicates with an MTC server through a Third Generation Partnership Projects (3GPP) network.
In the 3GPP system, a shared key may be established between a UICC and a terminal by using a Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA) process, which is configured to establish a secure connection and conducting secure communication between the UICC and the terminal, and the secure connection between the UICC and the terminal may be used for binding the terminal and the UICC. The GBA defines a universal key negotiation mechanism between a terminal and a server. As shown in FIG. 1, the illustration of the GBA and reference points among network element entities thereof is described. A User Equipment (UE) is a collective term of a terminal device (such as a cell phone) and a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)/Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and here, the terminal may be a plug-in card type of mobile terminal (such as a cell phone), or may also be a plug-in card type of fixed terminal (such as a set-top box). An application server (Network Application Function, NAF) is used to implement a business logic function of an application and provide business service to the UE upon completion of the authentication of the UE. A Bootstrapping Servicer Function (BSF) is a core network element of the GBA, the BSF and the UE implement the authentication by an Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) protocol and negotiate a session key subsequently used for communication between the UE and the NAF, and the BSF can set a life cycle for the key according to a local policy. A Home Subscriber Server (HSS) stores authentication data of the USIM/SIM card in the UE, such as the key Ki in the SIM card. The BSF acquires, by searching for a Subscriber Locator Function (SLF), related information of the HSS (such as the name of the HSS) storing related user data, and the SLF is not required in a single-HSS environment or when the BSF is configured to use a pre-specified HSS.
Currently, the 3GPP network supports the establishment of the secure connection between the UICC and the terminal in a shared key manner, and the binding between the UICC and the terminal is implemented by the secure connection. The shared key manner defined by the 3GPP is mainly that: a shared key Ks_local between the UICC and the terminal is established in the manner of GBA with UICC-based enhancements (GBA-U), and then the secure connection between the UICC and the terminal is established by using the shared key Ks_local. Such established binding between the UICC and the terminal can only be valid within the life cycle of the shared key Ks_local.
In the MTC system, since the MTC device needs to conduct communication in the absence of human intervention, the MTC device may be used by illegal users during the process of use. Therefore, the binding of the UICC and the MTC device is also required to avoid the illegal use of the UICC and the MTC device. The method for implementing the binding of the UICC and the terminal in the 3GPP may also be used for the binding between the UICC and the MTC device in the MTC system. However, in the MTC system, the binding relationship between the UICC and the MTC device established in the manner of GBA-U can only be valid within the life cycle of the shared key Ks_local. After the life cycle of the shared key Ks_local expires, the binding relationship between the UICC and the MTC device will be out of action, so that the MTC device may be used by other illegal users or the UICC may be used for illegal MTC devices.
Thus, for the 3GPP network and the MTC system, it is a problem to be solved how to avoid the established binding relationship from being limited by the life cycle of the shared key Ks_local when the binding between the MTC device and the UICC is implemented in the manner of the GBA-U.